The Beginning
by darkrunner
Summary: Arthur finds Suguroku in the nameless pharaoh's tomb, and helps him. Because I never understood how Atem's GHOST was able to pull Suguroku up from the ledge. Implied but not really Jiishipping for compy's contest.


A/N: As a concept, Jiishipping is no worse than anything else. When I have to WRITE it though... I think I'd take puppyshipping over this. PU-freaking-PPY. As in the bane of my existance.

Takes place right after Suguroku (Grandpa for you dub fans) gets shot (slingshot'd for you dub fans) by the Egpytian guy while trying to retrieve the millennium puzzle. Because it's really so plausible for ghost Atem to pull Suguroku up from the ledge.

* * *

"Siamon."

Siamon? Who're you talking you?

"I've been waiting for you, Siamon."

Me? That's not... but... it sounds familiar...

"Hey!" A different voice. Suguroku blinked and looked up. A caucasian man his age was staring down at him. "Are you okay?"

Suguroku sat up, groaning. The stranger knelt down next to him, pulling a small roll of bandages out of his bag. Suguroku looked down at his bleeding arm. He'd forgotten it.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Suguroku realized the man was speaking English. He asked him, in Japanese, if he could speak Japanese. When he received a blank stare as an answer, he assumed not.

"I speak a little English," Suguroku stammered. Great. Language barriers. Gaming didn't require language, and so was not part of his repatoire.

"I'm Arthur, by the way." The man said, tying the last of the bandages. The bullet had gone through the arm, luckily, and the bleeding had slowed while Suguroku had his hand clamped down over it. When Suguroku didn't repsond, he pointed to himself and enunciated, "Arthur Hawkins."

Suguroku nodded, understanding. "Mutou Suguroku."

"Mutou?"

"Arturo?"

They both nodded, glad for an international signal for 'yes'. Arthur stood up and offered his hand to Suguroku. He took it, and Arthur headed for the exit.

"Ah!" Suguroku didn't know the appropriate word in English, so he shouted to get the other man's attention. Arthur turned, and Suguroku pointed at the other end of the walkway, his goal, the millennium puzzle. Arthur halted, staring at the treasure. Suguroku crossed the stone bridge and, after a pause, grabbed the box. He half-expected another game, but the tests had finished; he was worthy of his prize.

Arthur eyed the box as he came back, not with envy, like a common thief, but wonder, as a fellow archaeologist.

Suguroku noticed Arthur's expression and handed the box to him. Arthur accepted, in awe, and opened the lid to reveal the pieces of the millennium item.

"It's a puzzle!" he exclaimed. Suguroku nodded. Arthur slid the lid under the box and reached in to take a couple pieces. "I wonder how hard it is to solve..."

He tried to fit the pieces together. Suguroku looked around, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. Someting was casting a shadow over him. He turned, and on the altar he had taken the puzzle from, a monster was forming. He remembered his guide, eaten alive.

Suguroku put his hand on the other man's, preventing him from picking up another piece of the puzzle. "Arturo..."

Arthur looked up, shocked. "What the--?!"

Suguroku pushed, telling him to run. Arthur complied, dashing along the stone bridge. They didn't look back until they were past the enxtrance, the door shut behind them. Neither spoke while they then hurried through the maze of stone soldiers, shuffling along with their left feet in front of them.

"What... was... THAT?!" Arhur panted when they were safely outside. Suguroku shook his head, not knowing how to answer in ANY language. Arthur looked down at the box in his hands. He reached for the pieces again, drawn to them. Suguroku grabbed his hand. Arthur blinked, dazed. He looked at the box again and thrust it at Suguroku, who shut the lid. They both stared at it, afraid and awed.

"What will you do with it?" Arthur asked after a few moments of silence. Suguroku tried to find the right words, failed, and tucked the box under his arm. He would keep it. He didn't know why.

"Thank you," Suguroku pointed to the bandage on his shoulder. Arthur nodded.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked, as they made their way to what was left of Suguroku's camp. His horse was thankfully still there. Suguroku looked around.

"You?" he asked. Arthur raised a hand to the north. Suguroku pointed in the same direction. Arthur smiled.

* * *

A/N: I joined this contest in season two, three years ago. The first pairing, azureshipping, was my first fic on . I submitted it minutes before I had to leave to go be stage crew for my first high school musical. (Seussical) I am submitting this one a scant few hours after the end of performing in my last high school musical. (Hello, Dolly!) I thought it was worth letting you all know that.


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